1 comments about Japan & Paris: Impressionism, Postimpressionism, and the Modern Era.

1. The aim of the Honolulu exhibition of Western and Japanese paintings was to "explore the history of collecting French painting in Japan...and the impact of early European modernism on Japan's painting traditions." The European modernism influenced Japan's traditions mostly through Japanese collectors rather than independent curiosity on the part of the painters, or contact with Western painters. This exhibition catalog is organized to efficiently educate readers on this little-covered influence. Individual paintings by Western and Japanese painters are dealt with with a picture and facing one-page analysis from the perspective of the exhibition's focus. Among the Western painters are Rouault, Matisse, Monet, and the lesser-known French artists Raphael Collin and Jean-Jacques Henner. Morita Tsunetomo, Wada Eisaku, and Kume Keiichiro are among the Japanese artists. It's interesting to see, once it is brought to light by the analyses, the Western modernist influence on the Japanese paintings. New light is shed on both modern European and Japanese art.

No comments about A Brief History of Curating.

2 comments about Helmus:PIETER SAENREDAM: Paintings and Drawings by the 17th-century Master of Perspective.

1. As far as I know, this is the only publication in English available on Saenredam, one of the great geniuses of Dutch art. It is very well documented (especially on the provenance history of each work), beautifully illustrated (the illustrations include his very rare drawings) and a must-have for anyone interested in Dutch painting of the Golden Age. Saenredam does not just paint churches; he captures the light, the air and the soul of XVII century Holland.



2. I first ran into the paintings of Saenredam on a visit to the Netherlands five years ago, and was fascinated by his work. The brilliant use of perspective and the draughtsman-like quality of his work really appealed to me. In it's painstaking quality, it reminded me somewhat of Northern Rennaisance painters. Yet the subject of these works was quite different. Saeredam's church interiors and exteriors have a serenity to them quite different from anything else.

   I was very disappointed upon my return to the states because I could find little if anything about this great painter. If you've done a search here, you've seen that the only other books on Saenredam are out of print and hideously expensive.

   I was overjoyed when I heard the Getty was bringing in the first major show of Saenredam's works in 40 years. I ordered this catalogue as soon as it was available. I was not disappointed.

   This book features excellent reproductions of preparatory drawings and finished works, along with commentary that is interesting to the both the lay audience and those with more expertise. I heartily recommend it.

1 comments about Surrealism Usa.

1. I was fortunate enough to see the Surrealism USA exhibit on tour in Phoenix in July. The collection was astounding. I found this book in the Phoenix Art Museum Store, however, $50 seemed like a lot to spend on a book while on a weekend vacation. I was thrilled to find it on Amazon for much less. The book is beautiful, the photographs are museum print quality and oversized, mostly one or two on each page. The book contains a thorough history of the surrealism movement in the United States during the last century. I would not hesitate to purchase it again.

2 comments about Rome Explorations: The Ancient Rome Walking Tour.

1. This is a fine book that delves into a subject that is usually just a side bar in the more comprehensive travel guides. For the interested traveller, this walking tour is an invigorating and enlightening experience. Recommended.



2. I was planning my first trip to Rome and had a huge interest in Ancient Roman History but all of the travel books that I looked at had sparse information on Ancient Roman society and landmarks. Luckily I came across this book on amazon.com. I spent a full four days following the tour in this book along with traveling to some of the extras that are listed in the back of the book. It was an excellent tour and not only did it give my girlfriend and I a ton of exercise it also allowed us to take in the overall feel of each section of the city that we journeyed through while following the books directions. On top of that it actually created interest in history from my girlfriend which is rare in itself. I strongly suggest this book to anyone who is going to Rome and wishes to take in the grandeur of the Roman Empire. As an added bonus the book lists the author's e-mail address which I used to write him a letter after completing my trip. He is extremely responsive to everything I said about his book and would enjoy talking to anyone with an interest in Rome. A definete 5 star product.

1 comments about T.BOR A Book (To Keep) +30 Postcards (To Send).

1. The postcards chosen for this book give a nice overview of Kalman's career. Once you have removed a postcard, you are left with a thumbnail view stub of that postcard's image. Each "stub" has quotes or interesting info about Kalman. The book and its construction follow in the vein of Kalman ( and M & Co.'s) work, using subtle quirky graphics and text.

No comments about Once Upon a Time . . .: A Treasury of Classic Fairy Tale Illustrations.

2 comments about Visions from the Golden Land: Burma and the Art of Lacquer.

1. The British Museum, London, should be applauded for launching the first significant exhbition of Burmese art in a major European institution. The catalogue is well-researched, well-written and presents provocative questions. A pioneering section pertaining to inscriptions on Burmese lacquer is especially interesting. Furthermore, the installation in London at the museum was stunning.



2. This is the first authoritative book devoted exclusively to the lacquer ware of Burma (Myanmar). I am an importer of Asian antiques, tribal, and folk art primarily from S.E. Asia, including Burma, and was delighted with the thoroughness of this books content. The range of lacquer ware discussed is quite thorough, the discussion on inscriptions is invaluable and the photographs are excellent. If the chapter on lacquer ware in Sylvia Fraser-Lu's Burmese Crafts Past and Present seemed too short, this is the next book to get. For the very knowledgable and very serious Burmese lacquer collector some of the examples used in the book may be dissapointing. I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about Painted Prayers: The Book of Hours in Medieval and Renaissance Art.

1. This is a beautiful book. It has full color images througout and contains examples of several pieces that I have not seen in other books. I have a coleection of lllumination books and am thrilled with this addition.



2. good illustrations, intertaining book



3. The Pierpont Morgan Library's collection of manuscripts and printed works contains some truly beautiful works of art. I was privileged to see some of them at an exhibit in the Kimbell Art Museum. This book was offered as a catalog of the exhibit and I immediately bought it as a reminder of what I had seen. The illustrations in this book, though not quite as visually stunning, are nevertheless representative of the originals. Bibliographic information is rather sparse but the further reading section is nice.

   Painted Prayers gives both the structure of the book itself and the reason behind its popularity during the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It was the laity in general, and more specifically the female laity, that owned these works as a kind of, "direct, democratic, and potentially uninterrupted access to God, the Virgin Mary, and the saints." (p.14). It is fascinating to see the incorporation of Christian, and sometimes pagan, symbols and iconography, and even humor, in the miniatures and marginalia of the Books of Hours. The miniatures often depicted biblical, or historical, scenes in modern settings and dress. Patrons would often have their portraits, coats of arms, monograms, or intials incoprorated into the Books of Hours that they had commissioned. With the advent of printing in the 15th century Books of Hours, with their pictures, became even more successful as they could now reach out to a wider audience.

   If you ever have the opportunity to see an exhibit featuring Books of Hours I recommend you see it. Failing that, Painted Prayers is a good stand in.




4. While this book contains chapters of material e.g. introduction, calendar, Gospel Lessons, Hours of the Virgin, Pentitential Psalms etc., the core of the book is the descriptions of the illustrations themselves. These description provide a variety of information - bits of biography of the artist, history of the manuscript (confirmed and confirmed), information regarding the style, the imagery etc. The "chapter" material provides samples of the texts, the development of the specific portion of the Book of Hours, etc. This provides the overall context for the materials.

   The indices provide access by manuscript, artist, early owners; an appendex provides the outline of the major offices by incipit (first phrase) to place individual illustrations in the overall context of the prayer hour.

   Don't be intimidated - the text is easily followed but one unfamilar with the prayer book content or with illuminated manuscripts. But you can also enjoy the book simply going through the pictures - like a stroll through a museum without a docent or tape.




5. This well-organized survey of the Book of Hours in Medieval and Renaissance art takes the reader through the various parts of the book of hours illustrating both the historical and artistic development from the earliest manuscript examples to incunabula. Lavishly illustrated with examples taken only from the Pierpont Morgan Library, where Wieck is a curator, the book is also a mini catalog of that collection. While the "reader" could fully enjoy this book by simply looking at the pictures, Wieck's text is full of illuminating tidbits. The book also contains some detailed descriptions of medieval liturgy and religious practices that may be of interest to some readers.

No comments about John Alexander: A Retrospective (Museum of Fine Arts).